Ian Steplowski
Artist / Tech Artist / Project Lead
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Peridot (AR-first Mobile Game, 2023)

Highlights from Art Directing Outsource Teams

I joined the Peridot team at Niantic in late 2021. Pivoting a bit from all my high-detail work at Pixar, this was a transition into real-time and AR tech, a refreshing of a generalist skillset, and an opportunity to gain some experience art directing outsource partners.

In creating a lineup of five featured "Dot Stars" characters, I worked from a wide open start via Figma from character identity (including origins, personality and a simple backstory in addition to design) to finished, balanced game assets made through the in-game gene editing system. To showcase the Dot Stars, I provided Art Direction and asset support (posing) to an outsource team at Wonderment using them to create a characters-filled logo for the game.

One of my earlier assignments on the project was to Concept and Pitch Storyboards and then Direct the Opening Cinematic of the game. This had to be a mobile-friendly, lightweight and realtime playback that could be re-used with variations. I directed an in-house Technical Artist as well as an outsourced Animator and VFX Artist, serving as a hands-on hub in putting it all together and presenting updates. The color palette was developed by Peridot's Art Director, Mieke Hutchins, in a collaboration to get a final look.

Concept Sketch for the Dot Stars Peridot Logo. I was riffing off of a proposal from our outsource partners at Wonderment, though in my version I leaned more heavily into featuring the Dot Stars characters I had designed and their personalities.

Concept Sketch for the Dot Stars Peridot Logo. I was riffing off of a proposal from our outsource partners at Wonderment, though in my version I leaned more heavily into featuring the Dot Stars characters I had designed and their personalities.

Final Peridot Logo made with my direction at Wonderment. I provided posed models and Art Direction in the form of regular draw-overs and notes in Zoom sessions.

Final Peridot Logo made with my direction at Wonderment. I provided posed models and Art Direction in the form of regular draw-overs and notes in Zoom sessions.

Exploring and iterating with game leadership and marketing teams, I developed five complimentary characters to be the face of Peridot. Rather than traditional construction, these models were made by directing Peridot's procedural in-game DNA system.

Exploring and iterating with game leadership and marketing teams, I developed five complimentary characters to be the face of Peridot. Rather than traditional construction, these models were made by directing Peridot's procedural in-game DNA system.

Model Packets like these were made for each of the five Dot Stars and handed off to Marketing and Animation along with suggested libraries of animation (in this case, "vanilla" since this was our essential / first Dot)

Model Packets like these were made for each of the five Dot Stars and handed off to Marketing and Animation along with suggested libraries of animation (in this case, "vanilla" since this was our essential / first Dot)

Early storyboard pitch for the opening cinematic, aiming to capture the "game loop" of the experience. Leveraging the real-time format, the core flight and hatch sequence is re-used regularly in each gameplay breed with the new parents and baby.

Early storyboard pitch for the opening cinematic, aiming to capture the "game loop" of the experience. Leveraging the real-time format, the core flight and hatch sequence is re-used regularly in each gameplay breed with the new parents and baby.

The final cinematic was assembled with mobile-friendly SVG (vector) illustration cards in an improvised Unity stage I laid out and coordinated. Post-launch, animation was able to add varying hatch animations per personality type!

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